Linux Kernel up to 6.12.112/6.18.55/7.2.9/7.3-rc5 Serial use after free

| CVSS Meta Temp Score | Current Exploit Price (≈) | CTI Interest Score |
|---|---|---|
| 8.4 | $0-$5k | 0.44- |
Summary
A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.112/6.18.55/7.2.9/7.3-rc5. It has been classified as very critical. Affected is an unknown function of the component Serial. The manipulation leads to use after free. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2026-98772. Local access is required to approach this attack. No exploit exists. Upgrading the affected component is recommended.
Details
A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.112/6.18.55/7.2.9/7.3-rc5. It has been rated as very critical. This issue affects an unknown code block of the component Serial. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a use after free vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-416. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. Impacted is confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: USB: serial: fix port tear down use-after-free Some drivers for multiport devices access port driver data from completion handlers of shared URBs submitted at attach() or first open() and stopped at disconnect() or last close(), respectively. A simple NULL check before accessing the driver data makes sure that a port state container has at least been allocated, but a completion handler can still race with port tear down. Reorder the disconnect handling so that ports are not deregistered (and their driver data freed) until after all ports have been hung up and the driver disconnect() callback has run so that all I/O has been stopped.
The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2026-98772 since 09/25/2026. The exploitation is known to be easy. An attack has to be approached locally. Neither technical details nor an exploit are publicly available. The price for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 10/18/2026).
Upgrading to version 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10 or 7.3-rc6 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 60cc9379c3e650d1ebfba4de63f1242537a62a32/5e8980a81af195c49084be5b4c031085b56c7443/e80ee74206f260eb1282e7d1339ff146a4a410d0/33c920f7c5952dfc42d1b8ea6efe16b1f0bb0c5b is able to eliminate this problem. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Product
Type
Vendor
Name
Version
- 6.12.112
- 6.18.0
- 6.18.1
- 6.18.2
- 6.18.3
- 6.18.4
- 6.18.5
- 6.18.6
- 6.18.7
- 6.18.8
- 6.18.9
- 6.18.10
- 6.18.11
- 6.18.12
- 6.18.13
- 6.18.14
- 6.18.15
- 6.18.16
- 6.18.17
- 6.18.18
- 6.18.19
- 6.18.20
- 6.18.21
- 6.18.22
- 6.18.23
- 6.18.24
- 6.18.25
- 6.18.26
- 6.18.27
- 6.18.28
- 6.18.29
- 6.18.30
- 6.18.31
- 6.18.32
- 6.18.33
- 6.18.34
- 6.18.35
- 6.18.36
- 6.18.37
- 6.18.38
- 6.18.39
- 6.18.40
- 6.18.41
- 6.18.42
- 6.18.43
- 6.18.44
- 6.18.45
- 6.18.46
- 6.18.47
- 6.18.48
- 6.18.49
- 6.18.50
- 6.18.51
- 6.18.52
- 6.18.53
- 6.18.54
- 6.18.55
- 7.2.0
- 7.2.1
- 7.2.2
- 7.2.3
- 7.2.4
- 7.2.5
- 7.2.6
- 7.2.7
- 7.2.8
- 7.2.9
- 7.3-rc1
- 7.3-rc2
- 7.3-rc3
- 7.3-rc4
- 7.3-rc5
License
Website
- Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/
CPE 2.3
CPE 2.2
CVSSv4
VulDB Vector: 🔒VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv3
VulDB Meta Base Score: 8.8VulDB Meta Temp Score: 8.4
VulDB Base Score: 8.8
VulDB Temp Score: 8.4
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv2
| AV | AC | Au | C | I | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| Vector | Complexity | Authentication | Confidentiality | Integrity | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
Exploiting
Class: Use after freeCWE: CWE-416 / CWE-119
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒
Physical: Partially
Local: Yes
Remote: No
Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined
Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒
| 0-Day | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
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| Today | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
Threat Intelligence
Interest: 🔍Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍
Countermeasures
Recommended: UpgradeStatus: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔒
Upgrade: Kernel 6.12.113/6.18.56/7.2.10/7.3-rc6
Patch: 60cc9379c3e650d1ebfba4de63f1242537a62a32/5e8980a81af195c49084be5b4c031085b56c7443/e80ee74206f260eb1282e7d1339ff146a4a410d0/33c920f7c5952dfc42d1b8ea6efe16b1f0bb0c5b
Timeline
09/25/2026 CVE reserved10/18/2026 Advisory disclosed
10/18/2026 VulDB entry created
10/18/2026 VulDB entry last update
Sources
Vendor: kernel.orgAdvisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed
CVE: CVE-2026-98772 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2026-98772
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-421937
Entry
Created: 10/18/2026 19:23Changes: 10/18/2026 19:23 (58)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
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